


Madara's Darling

by EldOchFlamma



Category: Naruto
Genre: Gift exchange with lovely avocado--kun, Hashirama says Madara Rights are his only, M/M, Madara is done, Tobirama is done on a level humanly impossible
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-07-27
Updated: 2020-07-27
Packaged: 2021-03-06 03:55:09
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,361
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25547029
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/EldOchFlamma/pseuds/EldOchFlamma
Summary: Hashirama overhears a conversation and jumps to conclusions.
Relationships: Senju Hashirama/Uchiha Madara
Comments: 23
Kudos: 195





	Madara's Darling

**Author's Note:**

> This is a gift fic for wonderful avocado--kun who keeps drawing beautiful fanart for my other fic that makes me loose my sleep!
> 
> Thank you so much, you have no idea how much it means to me! <3

Hashirama was waiting in line at the bakery to bring some snacks to the hokage office – it was a Saturday, after all, and he felt kind of guilty for making everyone work when they should be having some leisure time, so he might as well make it a little more bearable for everyone by bringing them a little snack. He was lost in thought when his ears picked up on a familiar name, and he listened more closely to the conversation between the two Uchiha passing the street behind him.

“… haven’t seen Madara-sama all day, is he out on a mission?” one asked.

“No, he’s just out with his… Darling,” the other answered, snickering.

“What, again? Weren’t they out yesterday as well?” was the bemused reply, and Hashirama could see from the corner of his eyes that one of the two shinobi garbed in blue was nodding.

“Yeah, he’s really giving him special treatment… Who knew Madara-sama could be such a softie?”

“…-sama? Hokage-sama?” the woman behind the counter asked loudly, and Hashirama jumped, catapulted back to what he should actually be focusing on.

He laughed awkwardly as he placed his order, praying he got it right with how distracted he was, but his thoughts would not let him focus on anything but what he’d heard just now.

Madara… Madara had... a 'darling'??

-

“Anija, I swear if you don’t get a grip –“

“You don’t understand, Tobi…” Hashirama wailed, sprawled face-first on his desk. “Madara HAS someone, and he didn’t TELL me about it!!”

Tobirama gave his brother a look that would have cowered a lesser man, but Hashirama was too busy crying crocodile tears to notice.

“Maybe he didn’t because he knew this drama would be the outcome,” he huffed. “I’m not listening to your tantrum, I have work to do.”

True to his words, Tobirama grabbed half of the mountain of paperwork piling on Hashirama’s desk and was out of there, ignoring his brother’s cries of apologies and bribes of croissants. Once Hashirama got started on Madara it would be all he talked about for the rest of the afternoon, and some people really didn’t care about that.

Now without any supervision preventing him from procrastinating, Hashirama continued on pouting, definitely not in the mood to focus on paperwork. He sulkily pushed the crinkled plans out of his way to be able to rest his cheek more comfortably on the surface of the desk. He just… didn’t know what about this upset him so much. He’d thought Madara and he were back to being friends now that they lived together in the village they had dreamed of as children. And friends… told each other when they found a significant other, right?

Maybe it was just the early stages, Hashirama tried to argue with himself, considering what excuses there might be for Madara to not tell him about it immediately. Maybe Madara wasn’t yet sure how it would turn out, so he didn’t want to announce anything. But then… if even the people in the clan knew about him having found a special someone… then shouldn’t Hashirama know about it too?

Letting out a frustrated huff, Hashirama tried very hard not to think about what kind of person could have caught Madara’s attention. The gossiping Uchiha had confirmed that it was, in fact, a man, and while Hashirama had… hoped Madara might be inclined that way, he’d never known for sure. He realized then and there that he had not the faintest idea what Madara found attractive in a partner. Did he like tall men? Or did he like being the taller one, considering how grumpy he always got when Hashirama teased him about being short? Did he like muscular or slender figures? A particular texture of hair? Did he maybe even prefer to date an Uchiha?

That would only be fitting for the clan head, Hashirama considered, grimacing at the memory of the Senju clan elders constantly pestering him about finding a 'suitable wife'. The Uchiha had sounded pretty confident that Madara was with someone he liked, but… what if it was arranged? Madara deserved to find a good partner, one that loved him dearly and knew him well, maybe even knew him from childhood on, and realised what a wonderful person Madara was under all that soft, fluffy hair and the moody grumbling. Someone who would hold onto him no matter what, who would be there for him in dark moments, someone who could hold their own against him…

Frowning in irritation Hashirama moved his head on the desk, blowing a strand of hair out of his face when it fell in front of his nose. Why hadn’t Madara confided in him? Did he not trust him after all? Or… did he not want Hashirama to know? He could have sworn that they’d grown closer these last couple weeks. Madara had helped him oversee some council meetings, had given him the nudge in the right direction when it came to negotiations with the daimyo, and he’d come up with a number of good solutions for some of their construction issues. They’d spent many nights pouring over plans and correspondence, having late dinners together and indulging in each other’s company when there were moments to breathe in between.

He’d even gotten away with helping Madara brush his hair out once, after his best friend had actually fallen asleep on his side of the desk, and Hashirama realised he couldn’t bear to wake him. Madara looked adorable when he slept, and with how dark the circles under his eyes had gotten he definitely needed the couple extra hours of rest. Those had quickly turned into the rest of the night, and when Madara had woken up the next morning, looking frazzled and confused, Hashirama had tea and rice ready for him, as well as some healing chakra for his sore neck.

With Madara having found a partner… would that mean that those nights wouldn’t happen anymore? Surely Madara would prefer to go home early to have dinner with his… significant other, rather than Hashirama? Maybe he’d even work from his own house and just come by once a week. Would Hashirama even get to see him regularly in the future? That thought did not sit well with him at all – he’d only just gotten Madara back, and he was definitely not ready to lose that hard-won time just for… for someone else to get to enjoy Madara’s company instead!

Hashirama needed a plan, and he needed it quickly. He knew he couldn’t just demand answers from Madara, that wouldn’t go over well. But he couldn’t let himself be side-lined like this either! So he figured he would wait and see, and maybe try and be encouraging, so Madara would feel like he could confide in him first. That would certainly be the best route to take.

-

“So, Madara… anything new and interesting that’s going on in your life?”

Madara, who had been stuffing ramen noodles into his mouth, gave him a weird look. He chewed and swallowed, and then arched an eyebrow at Hashirama.

“If by ‘new and interesting’ you mean that you bought dango for the office today instead of croissants, then yes. Spectacular,” he answered sarcastically, and continued on eating like he’d not seen proper food in a month.

Hashirama couldn’t brush the conversation aside quite as quickly, as he was left with more questions than answers. So… did that mean Madara had been dating for a long time??

-

Gentle fingers swept across his cheek, brushing a strand of hair back behind Hashirama’s ear. Surprised by the touch he looked up from the contract he was working on, and found himself eye-to-eye with his best friend, whose face, once he realised he was being watched, was slowly turning pink.

“U-uh… Madara?”

“That piece of hair kept falling in your face and you never tucked it back right, so…” Madara defended himself, sounding slightly hunted.

Hashirama, who hadn’t expected something so forward from the usually rather prudish Madara, was secretly delighted. What a nice gesture to do for a friend!

“I recently got it trimmed, so that’s why it’s misbehaving,” he explained grinning, and noticed with no small amount of smugness how Madara kept looking at the fall of his hair, probably trying to see a difference to how it had been before the cut.

“Looks nice on you,” he eventually mumbled and then quickly returned to his own work, leaving Hashirama to stare into space for a long moment, speechless.

Had… had Madara just complimented his hair? So… so did that mean he liked smooth hair? That would certainly narrow down the list of potential Uchiha dating candidates… It looked like Hashirama had some researching to do.

-

“Say, Madara, I was thinking – wait, where are you going?” Hashirama frowned, holding two scrolls in each hand as he watched Madara stalk towards the door.

They were in the middle of planning the first autumn festival Konohagakure would hold and they were far from finished!

“I’ve told you yesterday that I can only stay until mid-afternoon,” Madara informed him with a shake of his head.

“What? But why?” Hashirama whined, looking up at him with his very best pleading expression, which sadly didn’t seem to faze Madara at all.

“I have another commitment, is that forbidden now?” Madara frowned, then tossed his long hair over his shoulder and stomped to the door. “See you tomorrow, Hashirama.”

“But –“

The door closed rather vehemently behind him, and Hashirama felt an ugly bubble of jealousy rise in the pit of his stomach. Madara had other commitments now, did he? So he was going on dates while he was actually supposed to help Hashirama plan this event? Was that what Hashirama would have to get used to and expect in the future? Was that how much Madara valued their time together? It was just as bad as Hashirama had feared – and he knew he couldn’t let this become their new normal. Madara had to know that their time together was the priority, because… because romance could fade, but friends were always there for you!

-

Two days later Hashirama had had enough. Not only had he been unable to find an Uchiha with very straight hair who might be the man Madara was dating, he’d also been given the cold shoulder by his best friend, which was arguably even worse. Hashirama couldn’t go on like this – he needed clarity.

“Madara!” he cried, spotting the source of his turmoil on his way to the archives, arms stacked with scrolls. “Wait up!”

“What is it now, Hashirama? I want to get these sorted,” Madara asked, sounding mildly irritated. “Can’t it wait?”

“No, it really can’t!” Hashirama insisted, following him and opening the door for him, so they could enter the makeshift archive Tobirama had set up weeks ago to keep tabs on their incoming and outgoing correspondence.

The brother in question looked up from a table he was standing next to, on which six boxes made up the central filing system, which Hashirama had yet to comprehend but was too scared to ask about. Madara unceremoniously dumped the scrolls he’d been carrying into the closest box, making Tobirama squack angrily.

“No, that’s the box for mission reports – Uchiha, you KNOW this –“

“No, I don’t know this,” Madara said in that tone of voice that told Hashirama that he very well knew this. “Now what was it that couldn’t wait, Hashirama?”

Seeing as Tobirama was opening his mouth, probably ready to start an argument, which would undoubtedly make Madara mad, which would lead to Madara evading the office for a minimum of four days, which would mean Hashirama wouldn’t get to see him for a whole four days – he had to intervene quickly.

“Why didn’t you tell me that you had a boyfriend?” he blurted out.

The klick of Tobirama’s teeth snapping together as he closed his mouth was loud in the stale air of the archive.

“… I have… a what now?” Madara asked, flabbergasted.

“A boyfriend!” Hashirama cried, and he really would have liked to stomp his foot because of how frustrated he was to even be saying that word. “And you’ve been keeping it a secret from me all this time! I thought I was your friend!”

Madara stared at him with surprised eyes, which only got Hashirama more riled up. Did he think he was being subtle? That Hashirama wouldn’t figure it out? Had he been keeping it a secret on purpose? And if yes, why?

“You ditched work for him just two days ago!” he continued, crossing his arms in front of his chest and trying to puff himself up to his full (taller than Madara!) height. “Did you think I didn’t know? I just never thought you’d be the kind to put your 'darling' before work!”

Yes, maybe he was being snide, and maybe it was unbecoming, and no, Tobirama gesticulating wildly behind Madara’s back was not helpful in the least, but Hashirama had to say his piece. Madara looked confused before his expression changed to incredulity, then exasperation, in the blink of an eye.

“Hashirama,” he said slowly, his eyebrow starting to twitch the way it did when he got seriously annoyed. “You think that I have a – a secret ‘lover’ that I have been seeing – “

“I know so!” Hashirama insisted, and Tobirama was flailing so hard he knocked over one of the boxes filled with scrolls – still pointedly ignored by both his brother and Madara. “Even your clansmen were talking about how you would take him out often –“

“When were you even talking to my CLANSMEN –“

“– and I can’t believe you wouldn’t share this with me, your BEST FRIEND –“

“There is nothing TO SHARE!” Madara growled, eyes narrowed dangerously at being cornered when Hashirama invaded his personal space by leaning closer. “HOW can you be SO – “

He broke off with a snarl, which was probably a good thing, because Hashirama was certain he’d been a breath away from getting insulted, and shouldered past him roughly.

“Madara – no, wait, don’t you walk out again -!” Hashirama cried, but the door slamming in his face ended that particular conversation quite pointedly.

Once again denied the knowledge he’d been after, Hashirama wilted like a flower without water, sitting down on his heels with his arms wrapped around his knees and pouting openly.

“Anija…” Tobirama groaned, but the damage was done.

“I just want to know who his boyfriend is!” Hashirama wailed, tears welling in his eyes as he turned his head to look at his frustrated brother. “Why won’t he tell me? I bet he hates me now!”

“Anija, I really don’t think – “

“He won’t share anything with me ever again!” Hashirama continued bemoaning his terrible fate, burying his face in his knees just in time for Tobirama to roll his eyes ceiling-wards.

This was bound to be a long afternoon.

-

A week later, Hashirama’s birthday was coming up. He hadn’t really paid it much attention, as the Senju clan had rarely had time to waste on celebrating such insignificant dates, but now that there was peace, things were different. Tobirama had threatened him into making sure he was home before sundown, and Hashirama really didn’t mind cutting short his filing duty that day. Work had been… really no fun at all this week, because Madara had made himself scarce, and when he’d been there Hashirama had gotten little but nasty looks and irritable silences out of him every time he’d tried to breach the subject of their quarrel.

He really had no idea why Madara was angry at him for caring about his best friend’s private life. It was what friends did! They wanted their friends to be with good people that made them happy… wanted to make sure those people knew exactly what the consequences were for hurting someone dear to them… wanted to be there to offer advice and support to them… just normal friendly things!

Distracted as per usual, Hashirama didn’t notice the large number of sandals by the door when he slipped off his own shoes and stepped into his home, but he did notice the sudden bellow and cheering when he entered the living room. It was filled with people, mostly his clan members, but there were a small number of unmistakable blue Uchiha coats, as well as some blonde Yamanaka heads, which were always the easiest to recognise in the sea of mostly dark hair.

“W-what?” Hashirama stammered, getting swarmed first by his cousins and friends who all wished him a happy birthday and handed him their presents.

By the time they were through with him, he was smiling so hard his eyes were tearing up, but Hashirama couldn’t have imagined a better birthday. Then the room quieted a little, and when Hashirama looked to his left he understood why. Madara and Hikaku had stepped forward, but Hashirama’s eyes immediately trained on the beautiful bird sitting on Madara’s right arm. It had fierce orange-red eyes, a fluffy little plume on the back of its head, leading into a white and black speckled collar and belly, while its back was feathered in elegant dark brown.

“Happy birthday, Hashirama,” Madara said softly, and Hashirama’s eyes found his in speechless wonder. “My present to you is two-fold. Hikaku?”

Hikaku smiled at Hashirama and politely wished him a happy birthday as well before offering him a sturdy-looking leather gauntlet.

“You’ll have to put it on to hold your actual present,” Madara explained, and the indulgent expression on his face left Hashirama slightly breathless.

He eagerly complied and put the glove on, marvelling at the smell and rough texture, then closely followed Madara’s instructions on how to hold out and angle his arm. At Madara’s command, the bird spread its impressive wings and jumped onto Hashirama’s forearm instead, ruffling his feathers and looking at him challenging.

“He is a kuma-taka and has been with me for almost six years now,” Madara explained, drawing two fingers down the slope of the bird’s back and earning himself a chirp. “A while back you mentioned to me that you’d never owned one of your own, so… I thought it a fitting present. His name is… Darling.”

Hashirama was so enchanted by the clever eyes of the beautiful bird, which really reminded him of someone, that it took him a moment to register the meaning of what he was hearing. Once he did, his head jerked up, making his precious present to screech in warning.

“He… is called ‘Darling’?” he asked weakly, just to make sure, and when Madara nodded Hashirama wanted to sink into the floor in shame. “So… you’ve… been out…”

“Flying him, hunting with him, yes,” Madara said, and his smirk was badly concealed behind his collar. “I wanted to make sure he would be well-behaved for a beginner. I realise that the name might be… unusual, but Kagami got to choose it, and he was four years old at the time.”

Hashirama didn’t know what he should do first: apologise to his best friend for jumping to conclusions, do a little happy dance because Madara was not actually taken, or gush over the handsome present he’d received. Considering that he could physically feel Tobirama’s glare against the back of his neck, he chose the latter.

“I… I don’t know what to say, Madara,” he managed, but just barely. “He’s… incredible. I can’t wait for you to teach me everything about him.”

Humming contently Madara gifted him with a small, soft smile that made Hashirama’s knees feel weak immediately.

“On Saturday, maybe?” he suggested, and Hashirama nodded, not really listening, because Madara’s smile did things to his insides that were worrying, and he would have agreed to anything he’d suggested anyway.

“It’s a date,” Hikaku commented amusedly from where he stood just behind Madara, making his clan head jump slightly and duck his head further into his collar.

“Definitely,” Tobirama grumbled, having come up as well, curiously eyeing the bird on Hashirama’s arm, who felt like his world was turning upside down.

Had… Had his brother just agreed to a date with Madara… for him??


End file.
